Tying means for turbine-blades.



L. L. SMKLTH. IYLNQMEANS Fon TURBLNE BLADES. APPLLcAILoN FILED LMB. 5,.1914.

v Pated Nov.

/l\/ VENTOR HIS ATTORNEY /N- FACT LOUIS I.. SMITH, or EDGEWOOIJ,PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOB :To WESTINGHOUS'E'ELEO- TRIO AND MANUFACTURINGCOMPANY, A CORPORATION or PENNSYLVANIA.

' 'rYING MEANS FOR IURBINEgBLADES. Y.

To all whom it may concern."

Be it' known that I', LoUIs L. SMITH, a citizen of the United States,and aresident of Edgewood, in the county of Jlle'gheny vand State ofPennsylvania, have made a new and useful Invention in Tying Means forTurbine-Blades,v of which the following is a speciication. j Thisinvention relates to blading for elas- Atic fluidturbines and hasfor anobject to Iproduce anew and improved meansV for 'securing the outerendsof the blades together and forformingfa cover for the Huid 4passagesformed between adjacentblades i The blades of elastioluid"turbines aresubjected to vibration creating shocks during the delivery oi motivefluid tothe turbine and it is' necessary to eliminate `the ltendency ofthe blades to vibrate. This is accomplished in my present invention bysecuring together the outer ends of a 'number of blades located in onerow,- so that each blade so lsecured cooperates with the other blades inresisting vibrations.y

With some types of turbine blades it is desirable to provide a cover oryshroud member for the outer or free ends of the blades, so 'that thefluid passing between theblades is confined to a well defined path andis not spilled outwardly past the ends of the blades. For this reason itis customary to provide the outer ends of blades of the impulse typewith a cover or shroud member, ywhich is sometimes l also employed as ameans for tying the outer ends of the blades together. f My inventioncontemplates'a ynevvand improved blade-tie for the outer endsV of theblades which also constitutes a shroud or `cover for the blades ofa row,and is of simple construction and is capable of being easily and quicklysecured in place on the blades. g

Y In the drawings accompanying and forming a part of this application: iY ,Figure 1 iS aV fragmental elevation of a blade shown in connection.with a transverse Vsectional view of a shroudingtiemember embodying myinvention, asit appears prior yto being secured tothe blade; Fig. 2 is aview corresponding to Fig. 1, in which the shrouding tie member has been'pressed into engagement with the blade; Fig, 3 is a view correspondingto Fig. 2 and 'Y illustrates an embodiment of my'inmy invention;

spec'ication'of Letters Patent.' Y' 1 Pattd NOV, 6, 1917 Application meaMarch 5, 1,914.v Semi No'. 822,697.

vention in which. a Vspacing piece is employed betweenadJ'acentrbladesand is held .in placeby the shrouding tie member Fig. 4 is a viewcorresponding'to Fig. 2, and illustrates a modiiied form 0I' shroud-`ing tie member embodying` my invention, `1n which the member is soJformed that it of itself operates to secure vthe outer ends of theblades together and also vto positively hold :them 1n definitely spacedpositions` Vwith relation to each other;

Fig. 5 is a fragmental plan view of a row of blades-equipped "with a tiemember such as illustrated in Figs. 2 and 3; v

Fig. 6 1S a viewcorresponding-to Fig.

`and illustrates a modified form-of tie member and spacing pi-eceforming a detail of IFig. 7' is a similar-view and illustrates' adifferent method'for securing the tie mem ber in place from that shownin Fig. 6;

Fig. S isa view corresponding to Fig. l and illustrates still a furthermodification of my invention; and i i Fig. 9 is a fragmental plan viewof a row of blades equipped with the tie vmember and spacing piecesillustrated in Fig. 8.

f In Figs. 1 to 7, inclusive,` the lateral edges 'of the blades 11 areshown provided with slots 12, each slot being adapted to receive aflange or projecting edge 13 of a shrouding tie member. Asl illustratedin Fig. 1,

the -shrouding tie member 14 is so formed that it may be readilylocated' along the outer vends of a rowo'fblades and then may belpermanently and positively secured to the blades byr crimping itslateral flanges inwardly so that the edges engage the slots 12 as shownm Figs.- 2 and With this arrangement the tiemember not only forms jaShroud for the blades, but it also-rigidly secures their outer endstogetherand prervents the objectionable vibrations of the blades whichare apt to'occurv during the 1 operationv of the turbine. In addition tothis, the tie member can bepreadily removed from the blades bymerelyrwithdrawing one or both of its' slot engaging lateral edges 'fromthe engagement with the blades. This, as is apparent, can beaccomplished without mutilating the blades and without render- 1ing thetie member incapable of being subsequently used.

l In Fig. 3 I have illustrated means which may be employed in connectionwith a tie elfective as a shrouding element 5for the blades, since iteliminates the possibility of eddy currents being set up inQthe fluidpassages between the blades by the exposed ends or edges ofthe tievmember. Beti'veen each of the blades in a roiv, I employ a spac- -ing oriilling piece vlivliicliis so formed that its front and rear faces,4respectively correspond in contour .tothe rear ,andjfront faces of theblades, and Which is of such size that its Width corresponds eXactlyvtothe desired spacing of the ends ofthe blades. Tlie'pieces 15 are,moreover, so constructed that they lill the spaces betweeirthe blades,which are partially surrounded. by the substantially U-shapetie member14, and, With the tie member,` present a substantially smooth orunbroken faceto the fluidr pas sages located between the blades. It willbe apparent that the pieces 15 noty only. space theends of the-bladesand positively/ ,liold them iii their proper relative positions, .butalso prevent eddy. currents Which Would probably be occasionedbytlie-.sliapeofgthe tie member 141.

Any means may be employed for securing the filling piece 15 in placeoiforinounting it on the tie member. Asiillustrated it' is securedinplace by theinturned edges 13 of the tie member.

ln Fig.'- 41 have illustrated still another embodiment of 'myiiiventionin which the slirouding tie member 111L is so formed that itof itself operates as a' spacer for theends of the blades as Well as aKtie andishigoud member. Thisis accomplished.V by increasing the lengthof the inwardly turnededges of the flanges 13 `and by notching theflanges out so that they arecapable of engagingthe slotslQ formed intheblades andv so that eX- tensions 16 are formedon the tiemember whichextend inivardly. with. relation tothe blades and of engagingtheirivorkingor curved faces of the blades, WhenA y the .tie member is inplace. Theoperation of s ecuring, the member. 141Cv to Vthe. blades is Esimilar to thatillustratediiiFigs 1 and 2 and consists inerelyinforcing, theflanges 13 from a positionsomewhat similarl to that`illustrated irl-Fig 1 to theposition illustrated in Fig. l. It Will be`understood, of

course,fthatfthe blade-engaging edges of the projections or spacingpieces 16, integrally formed on the member 14a, correspond ,in contourto the contour of-the blade surfaces engaged by them, andthatthepeiipheral or longitudinal length of thesevpieces isequal to thedesired distance `between the louter 6.5 ends of the blades.

Iny Figs. 6 and 7 I have illustrated a shrouding tie member 111" whichis similar Yin many respects toithe member .14' illustrated in-Figs 1andfQ. f' lt,l.liowever, is

=adapted to be employed in connection with a Aspacing piece of such formas to provide a 'divergent fluid passage between thel blades A.the fluid`passing between theblades In order to accommodate a spacing Apiece ofthis shape I4` havefformed one of the flanges L y 13 ofthe tie memberllso that it is longer than .the other. flange. The 'slots .12. on theopposite .sides of the blade lfare:of course, correspondingly. spacedfrom; the end :of the bladeso Athatj,th ey are capable ofbeingengagedthe ,flangesof unequallenfgth. j ln Eig. havegsh'oivn one Amethod ofinitially vforming the' tie .member 4,145. yandmof securling it inplacewontheblades. :Thefl longer `flange 13 .is .initially formed sothat itis inclined orlocatechat an'anglefto the'fpevripheral face ,ofthe tie member. The sliorter :flangeis .thenjilliooked intogengagementwith the cooperating, slots 12 frorniediiitheblades. The spacingypiecesy 17are located between gthe blades and Y in .engagement with thetie member, .and then the longer ange'lmis pressedkor peeiied,liynivardly` so thaty it .engages its cooperating slots :12in the*blades land thereby loclsthe tie .meiiiberinplace on the blades andthespacingfpiece in place v betiveenthe blades.

l InfFig.` 7 I liavefshoivn a'form .ofgthe tie member yllinwwliichtheshorterfflange 13 is formed. after the tie vmember fhasgbeenlecatedjn vplace on the Outerend of`r the blades With the longer flangein engagement with itscoperatingslots 12. ..Theffl'ange 13th'enzfor'mecl or'lrolled en ,the member lill so .thatfits edgeprojeetsjntothe/adjacent slots formedI in ,the blades.` A fterftheIshorter; liangeis: forced into,.engageiiieiit p with itsl :looperatinglslots,. the v tiefmemberfis exactly'similar tothe member shown in. Fig.6 .andis not.; only positively, secured txothe blades, but` alea ,positively3 holds thelspacing .pieces 17 in placebetween the blades.

- ,111, FeS- 8 and 9 l. haveshwn Still another modification oftheinveiition.,l In this modi- .;eation l employ twotie .members 19rvvh'ichare adapted to be inserted into sl ots, derre-y sponding Vto theslots 12formed inopposite ved ges ofthe blades, and which are positivelyloekedin the slotsby'ineans :of .spacing y. pieces'21 to. ivliiclrtheyare permanently 'secured. `Asf illiistrated, eachspacingjpiece, .iso

besides operating to hold the blades in their proper relative positions,acts as a tie member for the two members 19, as is clearly illustratedin Fig. 8. Each of the members 19, as shown in Fig. 9, is notched out sothat it not only engages the slots 12 cut in the edges of the blades,butV also projects inwardly between the blades in the manner describedin connection with the disclosure of Fig. e. In the drawings two sets ofspacing pieces are employed for securing the two tie members 19together, one set bein located on one side of, and the other set einlocated on the other side of the tie mem ers, and, as illustrated,secured to each tie member by means of rivets 22. This construction notonly rigidly locks the outer edges of the blades together and holds themin their proper relative positions, but also forms a smooth and unbrokenwall of the steam passaoe between each pair of blades.

v n accordance with the provisions of the patent statutes, I havedescribed what I now consider to be the preferred embodiment of myinvention, but I desire to Ihave it understood that various changes,modifications and substitutions may be made in the details ofconstruction without departing from the spirit and scope of myinvention, as set forth by the appended claims.

Vhat I claim is:

l. In combination with a blade having notches formed in the lateraledges thereof and spaced from the end of the blade, a cover pieceengaging the end of the blade, and having its lateral edges bent downalon the sides of the blades and distorted and pressed into saidnotches.

2. In combination with a row of blades, each blade having a notch formedin each lateral edge thereof and spaced from the end of the blade, acover piece engaging the ends of the blades of the row and bent downalong the sides of the blades at its lateral edges so that it envelopsthe ends of the blades and having the ends of the downward bent portionsdistorted and moved into locking engagement with the adjacent notchesformed in the blades.

3. In combination with a row of blades,

each blade having a notch formed in each n lateral edge thereof, a coverpiece for engaging the ends of the blades and having distortablellateral flanges for engaging the notches in the blades, and separatespacing pieces located between adjacent blades.

4. In combination with a row of blades, each blade having a notch ineach lateral edge thereof, a cover piece for engaging the ends of theblade and having lateral fianges capable of being forced into saidnotches and of projecting between the blades to form spacing pieces.

5. In combination, a row of blades, each blade having a notch in eachlateral edge thereof, a cover piece having lateral flanges formedthereon and peened into said no-tches, and separate spacing pieceslocated between the blades and held in place by the coverv pieces.

6. In combination with a rowy of blades having flange receiving notchesformed therein, a cover piece engaging the ends of the blades andIhaving distortable flanges for engaging the notches in the blades andspacing pieces located between adjacent blades of the row.

7. In combination, a row of blades having opposed flange receivingnotches formed therein, a cover piece engaging the ends of the bladesand having distortable lateral flanges bent into engagement with saidblades, and spacing pieces located between the blades and held in placeby said strip.

8. In combination with a blade having notches formed in the lateraledges thereof and spaced from the end of the` blade, a cover piece ofsubstantially the same thickness of material throughout engaging the endof the blade, and having itslateral edges distorted and pressed intosaid notches.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name this 2nd day ofMarch,

- LOUIS L. SMITH. vWitnesses: v

C. W. MGGHEE, E. N. MCCALLISTER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C. Y

